This invention relates primarily to electronic video poker games, and more particularly to electronic video poker games that are single player games in which a player plays one or more poker hands against a pay table, and not against a dealer""s hand. The player attempts to achieve final card combinations that are based on poker hand rankings. Typically an initial hand is dealt to the player and the player is allowed to discard unwanted cards and to replace the unwanted cards with replacement cards. The final poker hand is compared to a pay table to determine winning and losing hands. During the play of the game, the player may achieve special bonus hand combinations that allow the player the chance to achieve higher payouts.
The present invention has many variations with the common thread being that bonus payouts are available to the player when the player""s initial hand has a one or more of a certain preselected combination of cards. In one variation, the player is provided a special pay table with higher payouts whenever the player is dealt a starting hand of a certain preselected combination of cards, such as Three-of-a-Kind. In another variation, the player is provided an additional poker hand to play whenever the player is dealt a starting hand of a certain preselected combination of cards, such as Three-of-a-Kind. In still another variation, the player is taken to a bonus round whenever the player""s initial poker hand is a certain preselected combination of cards, such as a Straight or Better.
The method of present invention involves dealing the player a starting hand of cards, such as five cards, and the player then plays this hand with a first pay table. If the player""s starting hand of cards has a poker hand ranking of any preselected combination of cards, such as a Three-of-a-Kind, the player is given the option of choosing to play the rest of the hand with a second pay table which has higher awards to the player than the first pay table. The player may be required to risk an additional wager, or the player may be required to give up some of his winning award, in order to receive the second pay table. If the player accepts the offer of the second pay table, the player plays out his hand against the second pay table. If the player declines the offer of the second pay table, the player plays out his hand against the first pay table. This method of play may be played in either a single hand format or in a multiple hand format.
In another variation of the present invention, the method of play involves dealing the player a starting hand of cards, such as five cards, and the player would play this hand with a pay table. If the player""s starting hand of cards has a poker hand ranking of a preselected combination of cards, such as a Three-of-a-Kind, the player is given a second hand of cards identical to the first hand of cards. The player then plays out both the first hand and the second hand by discarding and drawing replacement cards. The final first hand and the final second hand are then compared to the pay table to determine winning and losing combinations based on poker hand ranking. This method of play may also be played in a multiple hand format.
Still another variation of the method of play of the present invention involves awarding the player with a bonus round of play if the player""s initial dealt hand is a preselected poker hand combination, such as a Straight or Better. This bonus round of play may have many variations. For example, the bonus round may be providing the player with a free multiple hand game, such as a Triple Play hand. The player plays out his Triple Play hand according to the conventional manner of play of Triple Play and any awards received by the player are in addition to any payouts the player receives for the play of his initial hand.